This invention relates to holders for portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones. More particularly, it relates to such a holder that can be mounted to a belt or strap.
Holders for electronic devices such as mobile telephones have been used for some time. These holders, however, suffer from a number of shortcomings. Belt clip holders, in addition to being prone to breakage and subsequent dropping of the device, hold the device in an attitude perpendicular to the belt. This attitude forces the user to reposition or remove the device when sitting. Further, in a sitting position this attitude can make the removal of the device from the belt more difficult, which is inconvenient. Swiveling belt clip attachments have been developed to assist with this problem. However, such attachments, as well as belt loops, can allow the phone to swing annoyingly during vigorous movement of the user. To provide better protection for the device, holders have been fabricated of relatively hard material. These holders, however, can be uncomfortable to wear.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved mobile telephone holder that provides a secure attachment, that is inexpensive to manufacture and that is comfortable and easy to use.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention as embodied and broadly described in this document, there is provided a holder for a mobile device. The holder comprises a generally tube-shaped body having an exterior, an interior cavity having an opening at a first end of the body and an opening at an opposing second end of the body. The interior cavity has a surface comprising a material having frictional properties allowing the device to be slidingly inserted by hand into the interior of the tube-shaped body. The tube-shaped body is semi-rigid and sufficiently elastic so that the body can stretch to allow the hand insertion of the device into the interior of the body and can retain the inserted device in the interior of the body.
In a preferred embodiment, the tube-shaped body is made of neoprene, the interior surface of the body can be lined with fleece-like material and the exterior of the tube-shaped body can be covered at least in part with a fabric. The tube-shaped body can be formed from a generally flat piece of elastic, semi-rigid material, with two of the opposing sides secured to each other to form a seam along at least a portion of the length of the tube-shaped body. Optionally, the tube-shaped body can include one or more slits disposed generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the interior cavity.
A method according to the invention includes providing a generally tube-shaped body like that described above, positioning the tube-shaped body on a belt so that the belt extends through the interior cavity and out of the first opening and the second opening and slidingly inserting the device into the interior cavity, thereby stretching a portion of the body to cause the tube-shaped body to retain the inserted device in the interior cavity.